Blunt injury patients benefiting from intensive care

The files of 2,002 trauma patients admitted to our intensive care unit between 1966 and 1984 were analyzed. 74% of the patients were admitted because of the trauma after primary care and 26% later. The main reasons for later admissions were respiratory distress in 11% and postoperative follow-up in 8% of the cases. The series consists of blunt injury patients with a mean age of 39 years for those who survived and 52 years for those who died. 65% of the patients were injured in road traffic accidents. Injuries to the lower extremity were the most frequent (60%) and injuries to the cervical spine the least frequent (11%). The injury Sum (= sum of injuries) ranged from 1 to 18 with an average of 5.6 in the whole series. Two thirds of the patients were multiply injured. A statistical analysis showed that the most important determinants between the dead and those who survived were resuscitation, need for respirator treatment, age of the patient, amount of primary blood transfusions, brain and renal complications. The ICU mortality was 9.0% and the total hospital mortality was 11.9%.